UGH! Unexpected expenses!

[Dee09]

Sorry to hear about your car troubles Insane and I can imagine your frustration with the lack of options where you live. wow a wait list!
Some people/companies are such crooks and they still get away with it. But like a previous poster stated, good on you for catching the BS. Hope you're feeling much better after beating up that dough and then enjoying warm, fresh buttered bread. mmmmm

[avoncallingu]

So sorry this expense "popped" up for you!

[CanadianCouponCollector]

Unfortunately we don't have much of an option. I live in the middle of nowhere. Like Santa's neighbour no where. All the little mechanics are plum booked and aren't actually looking to take on new clients. Seriously, it takes weeks to get into some of them! We had an idea of some of the problems, so I don't think they are exagerating about it either. I wish we had options.

I go to price match Cash manager 2014 at Staples and they refused to do it. It was from amazon.ca and they said they won't price match to online stores. hmph....walked across the street to Walmart and bought it there.

Okay, pity party done. Time to go bake some bread (making homemade bread is a fantastic way to work off some steam. Nothing like beating the crap out of some dough! )

Sounds like you've found a profitable career path.

^I was thinking vehicle mechanic but pounding bread for a living also sounds like you'd be rolling in the dough.


(I even groaned at myself, there.)

[Tommycoupons]

NEVER take your car to Crappy Tire! They wrecked my car door once and refused responsibility until I called head office and threatened to sue, then they settled. Another guy I know had his oil changed and they forgot to tighten the oil plug in and all the oil leaked out and ruined his engine.

[dizzyb]

Okay, pity party done. Time to go bake some bread (making homemade bread is a fantastic way to work off some steam. Nothing like beating the crap out of some dough! )

Yeeeeees, ma'am, I'm with you there! And the smell is divine! Have to make several loaves at a time, 'cuz the first one is usually half gone within an hour of coming out of the oven :D

[Insane]

Yeeeeees, ma'am, I'm with you there! And the smell is divine! Have to make several loaves at a time, 'cuz the first one is usually half gone within an hour of coming out of the oven :D

I make 4 at a time. I could have a whole separate pity party about how I've been using the same recipe for a year and a half and now it doesn't rise properly anymore and I can't for the life of me figure out why.

[Tinkerbella]

OOOh not CT

[hirev]

Crappy tire broke a bolt on my car from turning the wrong way then wouldn't release my car out of the garage till I paid for them to drill it out.

Buddy of mine had an oil change and they didn't put the drain plug back in. The engine blew in his Cadillac. They had to buy him a new car.

They charge boom hours not actual time working. So if something takes 15 mins but the book says 8 hours you get charged for 8. They also compound the hours. So if u are getting 2 things done in the same area which half the work is done for one job by the other job they don't take that into account

[Insane]

Crappy tire broke a bolt on my car from turning the wrong way then wouldn't release my car out of the garage till I paid for them to drill it out.

Buddy of mine had an oil change and they didn't put the drain plug back in. The engine blew in his Cadillac. They had to buy him a new car.

They charge boom hours not actual time working. So if something takes 15 mins but the book says 8 hours you get charged for 8. They also compound the hours. So if u are getting 2 things done in the same area which half the work is done for one job by the other job they don't take that into account

I hate the whole labour thing. It so scammy.

[Natalka]

It's so interesting now that my son is a mechanic, how much we have learned about the industry.
He's at a 'family' shop - really focusing on return customers, so absolutely no padding of time, part charges etc. - they want satisfied people to come back, and they do.
It's the kind of place where people are so happy with their repairs, customers come back to thank them and bring the guys baked goods and other food, etc. - pretty cool to see something like that in the industry.

But, wow, stuff he's told me about other garages where his fellow friend-mechanics are working - particularly chains and dealerships, those are a whole different story...

[tjthemanto]

CT guys even screw up on basic things like OIL CHANGE !

Its best to go to a honest trusted local independent mechanic ..I know its hard to find them , but if you research thru your friends, family & co-worker you will find them & give them your business , as opposed to these big franchise chains & dealers

[tjthemanto]

My bro had a used car which is probably worth $ 3,000 , but mind you its well maintained & in good condition & runs very well ..for minor issues sometimes he is quoted charges which are almost the price of his car !!!..by these big guys.

But luckily he knows a local trusted mechanic who is almost like a family member now , who charges him much much less..he barely charges for labour & most of the parts he buys are good genuine parts but NO NAME parts & NOT brand name parts , which are much cheaper , but are the same quality

[22hicks]

I too have had my problems with CT !!!!!!!!!!
Will NEVER go there again !!!!!!!!!!
So sorry you have to deal with the added costs. Just not fair.

[Minou]

Yikes. Sorry to hear about all this!

The nearest Honda dealership also plays games around here. Took my car in for something minor, and was given a list of about $3500 in recommended service. The thing is, many of the maintenance items had been done recently and according to schedule (eg. timing belt replacement, transmission fluid change) I pointed that out, and was told, "Oh, we just go according to what the computer recommends based on time... we don't look at the service record." So, someone who wasn't aware of what they'd had done to the car in previous visits could go and have the timing belt and all the fluids changed with every oil change! I didn't do the "recommended" work, and had the car safetied (just a light bulb needed replacing) a week later.

Took my new vehicle (then 1 year old) there last September, and they forgot to tighten the oil filter. When I went to move the car into the garage that evening, oil started pouring out all over our 2-year-old driveway. Had to have it towed back to the dealership.

Take those service recommendations with a grain of salt, and ask them to physically show you the problem.

[hirev]

Another issue with CT is they normally have only 1-2 real mechanics, the rest are techs who have little to no real training. Most of the work is done by the techs and just a quick if any review of the work by the mechanic on duty.

Also the techs are required to beat book time otherwise they get fired cause the shop wants to make more money. So the techs tend to rush the jobs so they can keep their job.